Understanding User Profiles

The Hacker News MCP Server provides comprehensive access to user profile information, allowing you to explore contributor histories, track activity patterns, and identify community experts. Each Hacker News user has a public profile containing their submission history, comments, karma score, and optional biographical details.

To access a user profile, simply ask your AI assistant about a specific Hacker News user by their username. For example, you might request "Show me the profile for user pg" or "What has user dang posted recently?" The server retrieves the complete profile data, including the user's karma score (which reflects community appreciation for their contributions), their account creation date, and any "about" information they've chosen to share.

Exploring Activity History

User activity history is one of the most valuable features for research and analysis. When you request information about a user, you'll receive access to their complete posting history, including both story submissions and comments. This chronological record allows you to understand what topics interest specific users, track their engagement patterns over time, and identify their areas of expertise.

The activity history includes timestamps for all contributions, making it possible to analyze when users are most active or how their interests have evolved. You can also see the community's response to their contributions through scores and replies, providing insight into their influence within the Hacker News community.

Practical Applications

Identifying Experts: Search for users who consistently contribute to discussions in your area of interest. Their profiles reveal depth of knowledge and community respect through karma scores and comment quality.

Research and Context: When evaluating perspectives on technical topics, reviewing a commenter's history helps you understand their background and potential biases or expertise areas.

Network Analysis: Track connections between users by observing who responds to whom, helping you map the community structure around specific topics or technologies.

Tips for Effective Searching

Start with specific usernames when you know who you're looking for. Ask questions like "What are the recent comments from [username]?" or "Show me the submission history for [username]."

When researching topics, you can combine user profile searches with story or comment queries to build a complete picture of community discussions and the key voices within them.

Remember that all profile information is public data that users have chosen to share on Hacker News, ensuring you're accessing information ethically and as intended by the platform.